Fifth wheel mounting



Filed sept. 5, 1939 asheetS-sheet 2 INVENTOR j nl ATTQRNEYS Nov. 1s, 1941*. s, B WM 2,263,114

` FIFTH WHEEL MOUNTING Filed Sept. 5, 1939 3 `shees-sneet s ATTORNEYS. f

WN NN @N QUQE:

RH, QNANHHL flexibility or reduce its use fullife.l

PatentedNov. 18, 17941 u 2,263,114 Y' rrr'ru waant. `ivroum'rrne rsmiley n. wam, mpeermlen.

The present inventionjpertains i Y wheel and couplingI mechanism of a typeparticularly adapted forv connectinga semi-trailer `to a tractor.`

' The primary object of the present. invention is Fig. sie. crossseubnmken-onemenne t-ls.

to provide a flexiblepivot for a fifth wheel'in a tractorA trailer combination, such flexiblefpivot including a rubber sleeve which is interposed l betweenV the pivot pin and the means on the fifth wheelreceived onfthepivot pin.` Infthis connection itis further desirableto protectsuch rubber memberfromthe elementsand foreignmatters havinga tendency to detract froni itsv Another object or ,the present-inventions to` providea'fth wheel for attachment a tractor and coupling `Jaws associated' therewith forlre `ceiving a king pinon the forward end offthe' trailer and for holding the trailer in coupled re# lation thereto,- the nfthwheel embodying a novel* mounting wherein the desired pivotal movement "necessary for couplingan'd uncouplingdoperaftions is L'derived through a vflexible resilient mounting which ."absorhscox`1si`d`ei'ableV of the shocks incident to cuplingoperations,` which shocks are ordinarily/'quite severe.

Another object of' the present invention is' to provide a fifth wheel for reception of a king'pin on a. trailer and coupling jaws for'engaging the received king pin to prevent ts removal, andin combination therewith, a pne aticmeans opertignseptember 5.1939, senalNo.`z" s3l`40'ff v 10mm; (cino-sail to a novel nml ffFig. 4 aplanwview of thefifth wheel', partly broken away` and in crosssection: y Fig. 5 is afragnientaryplan -0fth e i',ractor;

ofFigA.. Like"characters 'of reference. areA employed throughout to designate corresponding., parts'.`

In Fig. ly thereis shown.-attractorcomprising a frame I mounted uponwheels I and support-V ing'acab l. The motive power-. for-.the-tractor is derived from `anfinternal. combustion l enginey 4` having `anjintalce manifold 5; in .which a -par-H tial vacuum is created by .the operation ofthe f Rearwardlylpositloned from cabfS are provided two spaced brackets lafilired rigidlylto the .frame l .to `projectwerticallytherefrom the brackets `beingV spaced laterally. As more clearly shown in Fig.` 3 thelbrackets 2` are formed oi.V

spaced side members` 1 Aand Q having .outwardly extending bosses 9 and I l formed with l ,co-axial Y boresf Ai'lftli wheel generallyldesignatedby the able from the cabofthe` tractor for moving thef coupling jaws to' permit removal oftheking pin from thelfth wheel;V In this Vconnection the `coupling jaws are" normally held by resilient means in their position of engagement so that during coupling operations the Jaws are per m'itted to move as a result of the relative Inovement of the king pin and fifth wheel but once the king pin is in its coupled position the jaws engage the same so that it cannot be removed without operating the pneumatic means which numerall I "has a pair. of.downwardly-:extending lugs`rl2 and the lugswonfopposite..sides of* the nfth wheel are received.betweenv theside plates 1 and 8 of the laterally spaced brackets 6. Each lug has a bore i3 in which is received a flexible,` resilient sleeve I4, preferably, formed of rubber.

Received `within theresilient sleeve il is a metal sleevelSA whose length is such thatits ends abut the inner faces of theiside walls 1 and 8 in like manner witl'ilthe resilient sleeve. Movably received withinjuie metal) sleeve l5 is a tubular shaft |8whose-ends are received and rotatably supported in the bores in the bosses 9 and ill.

` Finally a bolt l1 is passed through the tubular retracts the cupling jaws against the urge of the resilient means.

With the above and other ends in view the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended "claim, reference being 'had to the accomy A panying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tractor illustrating a fragment of a'trailer coupled thererig. 21s an enlarged side elevations: the mth wheel, partly broken away and in cross section;

Fig. 3 is a cross section of a detail;

shaft I6 and its head lholds a washer la while anut 20 received on its other end holds a washer 2|. The Washers I8 and 2l are of a diameter permitting engagement with the bosses 9 and Ill respectively and therefore longitudinal movement of the tubular shaft is prevented and the vparts are permanently assembled in the portion shown in Fig. 3.

The fifth wheel Il comprises a substantially circular plate having a. centrally disposed slot 22 opening rearwardly asmore clearly shown in Fig. 4. A pair of anguiarly disposed guide arms 23 are formed integral with the fifth wheel and form a gradually enlarging continuation of the slot22. As illustrated clearly in Fig. 2 the arms 23`slope downwardlytowards their outer ends relative toa horizontal plane.

secuen-V te Prine 'ser On opposite sides of the slot .-22 are pivotally mounted clamping jawsv 24. The jaws are mounted beneath the 'top surface of vthe fifth wheel and are partially enclosed by reinforcing webs 25 which are connected by a bottomlwall 26. The reinforcing webs also serve to limit `the amount of pivotal movement ofthe clamping jaws 24 as designated'at 21.1n Fig. 4. Each coupling jaw has a projecting arm 28 having vone end of a coiled spring 29 connected thereto, the opposite end of the coiled spring vbeing'connected to one of thereinforcing webs '25so thatthe energy stored in the spring normally tends to hold the clamping jaws in a 'position-where theyV Vextend into the slot 22. Beneath the top surface of the fth ,wheelis formed a cylindrical chamber 38,1the lowerend of which is closed by a diaphragm which is held in place by a cupelike cap 32 havinga port .33

extending through Yonerof the walls thereof. AV

fitting 34 opens into the cylindrical chamber and is-connected by a flexible :tubel to a line 35 leading to a valve '31on-the-dash'38 `in the cab .3. The valve 31 is connected by aline .33 tothe intake manifold 5. `The construction of thevalve has notbeen shownin detail because it forms'no novel part o'f the present invention and itk may be of any construction known tothe art and available upon the market. y

A rod 4I is'slidablymounted1in-the cap member 32 and has its lower end Apivotally connected to a Abell crank 42. VThe bell crank ispivotally mounted'at 43 on'a plate 44 formed integral with the fifth wheel. "The other end ofthefbe1l lcrank is connected by .links 45,*to 'the projecting farms 28 onthe clamping jaws "24. Y

Thenumeral48 designates a trailerframe and it will be understood that ,therearward portion thereof which has been broken away, in lorder that the view might` beirendered on a large'scale, is to be supported on wheels. v`Such constructions are well knownin the'tractor-trailer art and it is therefore deemed unnecessary to illustrate the same. In the forward end of' the trailer iframe I is mounteda-kingpin '4l whichprojects downwardly beneath the plane of a skid-plate ywhich is secured beneath' the forward end ofthe frame. The skid plate 48 has an'upturned guide portion 48.

The parts have been illustrated in their coupled position wherein the king pin is received in the slot 22 and its removal therefrom .isprevented by the coupling jaws 24. "In this position the skid plate 48 rests upon the fifth wheel and is permitted to move slidably in relation thereto around the king pin which thus serves as a plv- 'bell crank lever'42.

.otal connection between the tractor and the trailer. When it is desired to uncouple the tractor from the trailer the operator in the cab 3 adjusts the valve 31=soas to establish communication between the intake manifold 5 and the cylindrical chamber 30 sothat a partial vacuum is created in the chamber 30. 'Ihus a rareiied condition exists on the upper side of the diaphragm 3| and atmospheric pressure on the other side entering throughthe opening 33 causes movement of the diaphragm 3| to raise the rod 4I and rock the Movement of the bell crank pushes the links 45 and pivots the coupling jaws `24 to cause them to be moved out of the slot 22 at which time the king pin is free to move out of the slot.

When it is desired to again connect the tractor Vto thetrailer the inclined arms 23 are backed under the skid plate 48 and the arms guide the king pin intov the slot 22. At this time the suction is discontinued and the urge of the springs lpermitted to again move the coupling jaws 24 into the slot 22. The couplingjaws are so shaped that theking pin upon entering the slot brushes them aside and after the king pin passes the jaws they are moved into their coupling position by the springs. It is obvious that when the end of ,the slot 22 comes into contact with the king pin that shocks are imparted to the structure. Such shocks are absorbed by the rubber mountingl for the fifth wheel which provides an inexpensive cushion eliminating the expensive spring constructions ordinarily used which are subject to disorder and breakage.

Although a specific embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described it is tobe understood that various changes may be `made within the scope ofthe appended claim without departing from the spirit of the inven- Ation,'and such changes are contemplated.

What weclaim is: A fifth wheel structure comprising a supporting plate having a pair of laterally spaced downwardly extending lugs, said lugs having aligning apertures,'a :pair of laterally spaced brackets receiving each of said lugs, each pair of brackets having apertures aligning respectively with the apertures of said pair of lugs for respectively receiving shafts for pivotally supporting said plate, tubular spacer members surrounding each of said shafts and spacing apart the brackets of each pair, a resilient sleeve positioned in the aperture of each of said lugs, said sleeve respectively surrounding' and engaging said spacer members, and means limiting axial movement of said shafts. SIDNEY B. WINN. 

